DEAD OR ALIVE?

Guy told police Thursday night that her daughter left their Marie Road, Morvant home during the morning period saying she was going out to deal with police business.

When Joseph failed to return home, her mother made several calls to her cellular phone but got no reply. She then went to the police station and filed a report.

Police received information that a 39-year-old labourer from Sea Lots - believed to be Joseph’s boyfriend - had confided to an associate that he had killed the officer and disposed of her body in the area. Detectives from Portof- Spain CID have since detained WPC Joseph’s companion and up to press time, he was being interrogated.

The man insisted he does not know of Joseph’s whereabouts but his neighbours told police she was seen with him at his home on Thursday morning. An unpainted wood and concrete house in Sea Lots was being processed by police yesterday as it is believed Joseph was kept there for some time.

Officers led by ACP (Crime) Irwin Hackshaw and including Snr Supt Radcliff Boxhill, ASP Ajith Persad, Ag ASP Terrence Williams, Sgt Kerr, PC Waldron and PC Lightbourne, along with officers from the Homicide Investigations Bureau, the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Guard and Emergency Branch (GEB) and the Canine Unit swooped down on Sea Lots and under the gaze of residents, began a search for Joseph.

Sources said that WPC Joseph, who is the mother of a four-yearold girl, was last posted at Morvant Police Station and was in a long-standing relationship with the Sea Lots man, who has a penchant for wearing thick gold jewelry.

Joseph joined the Police Service in November and was assigned to the Crime Patrol Unit in the North Eastern Division.

Her colleagues in the Police Service, Newsday was told, were concerned about Joseph’s relationship with the man.

Yesterday, Joseph was supposed to return to duty after a two-day break. Her mother sobbed uncontrollably as she was led to a police vehicle to be taken to the office of the Homicide Investigations Bureau to be interviewed.

ACP Hackshaw yesterday said, “I am very distraught, disheartened and deeply pained about the report that one of our own officers may have been murdered.

The Acting Police Commissioner (Stephen Williams) and others in the Service no doubt share my sentiments.

ACP Surujdeen Persad, who is in charge of North Eastern Division where WPC Joseph is based, said no stone would be left unturned in locating her and counselling would be provided for her worried and distressed colleagues.